Breaking Into Banks and Bypassing Modern Security with Greg Hatcher and John Stigerwalt

Three banks in four days isn't just a bragging right for penetration testers. It's a wake-up call showing that expensive security tools and alarm systems often fail when tested by skilled operators who understand both human behavior and technical vulnerabilities. Greg Hatcher and John Stigerwalt, co-founders of White Knight Labs, talk about their latest physical penetration tests on financial institutions, manufacturing facilities protecting COVID-19 vaccine production, and why their new Server 2025 course had to rewrite most common Active Directory tools. They share stories of armed guards, police gun draws, poison ivy reconnaissance, and a bag of chips that saved them from serious trouble. The conversation reveals why EDR alone won't stop ransomware, how offline backups remain the exception rather than the rule, and what security controls actually work when attackers bring custom tooling. Impactful Moments: 00:00 - Intro 01:00 - New training courses launched 03:00 - Server 2025 breaks standard tools 05:00 - COVID facility physical penetration 07:00 - Armed guards change the game 10:00 - Police draw guns on operators 13:00 - Bag of chips saves the day 15:00 - Nighttime versus daytime physical tests 18:00 - VIP home security assessments 20:00 - 2026 threat predictions 22:00 - Why EDR doesn't stop ransomware 27:00 - Low cost ransomware simulation ROI 29:00 - Three banks in four days 32:00 - Deepfake as the new EDR Links: Connect with our guests –  Greg Hatcher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregoryhatcher2/ John Stigerwalt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-stigerwalt-90a9b4110/ Learn more about White Knight Labs: https://www.whiteknightlabs.com Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional: https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/